Container



J. E. DAVIS CONTAINER July 12, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1965 INVENTOR. JAMES E. DAVIS BY /g% Z @M A 7' TORNEX J. E. DAVIS CONTAINER July 12, 1966 g Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27. 195;

IIEEU IL INVENTOR JAMES E. DAVIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,260,360 CONTAINER James E. Davis, Lougrneadow, Mass, assignor to American Saw it Mfg. Company, East Longrneadow, Mass., a corporation Filed Sept. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 490,417 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-52) The present invention relates to containers [tor coiled strips, such as bandsaw blades and the like.

Generally, bandsaw blades for industrial use are transported and stored in coils of considerable length, and strips of the desired length are cut therefrom as needed for use.

As the bandsaiw blade is provided with offset teeth along one edge, it is desirable to preclude contact between the container and the teeth to minimize coil wear. Further, it is desirable that the compactly wound coil be so packaged that, while it is securely confined, the outer end of the coiled blade be capable of being pulled to so unwind the coil as to enable desired shorter lengths to be removed.

In accordance with the present invention, a container [for coiled articles, such as bandsaw blades, is dimensioned to receive a predetermined blade length, when wound into a coil of a predetermined outside diameter, and a cover is secured thereto for enclosing purposes.

It is a primary object hereof to provide a novel and rugged container for coiled bandsaw blades and the like wherein the bandsaw may be readily threaded outwardly and inwardly of the container.

Another object is to provide a sturdy container allowing minimal frictional contact with the saw blade and having the stresses of the coiled blade distributed unitormly relative to the container walls.

A further object is to provide a molded plastic container having a low coefiicient of friction and further having means allowing a stacking of a plurality of such containers.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the [features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the structure hereafter set lfOI'th and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the coil pack or dispensing-container and package in accordance with the invention, with the cover removed;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the coil pack or dispensing-container and package of FIG. 1, with the cover in operative position;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the section as shown in FIG. 4 with the blade omitted.

Referring to the attached drawings, the shipping and i ispensing pack embodying the invention is generally comprised of an interfitting bottom base member and a top cover member '12 each of generally polygonal configuration which cooperate for coaxial reception of a coiled bandsaw blade C having teeth T along one edge thereof or other flexible resilient metal strip coil.

The expressions top and bottom herein applied to the various elements will be understood as primarily for identification and not as implying any necessary horizontal or other positioning of the pack in use.

Base 10 is integrally fabricated with an upstanding inner circumferential wall 14 defining a central opening 16, a transverse bottom wall 18 and an upstanding peripheral circumferential wall 20.

The space upwardly of bottom wall 18 and between the concentric circumferential walls 14 and 20 defines a receiving compartment dimensioned to accept a strip coil of given initial size as to diameter and thickness, e.g. 100 feet or other length of saw-band, steel rule or the like, and of maximum width, as for instance A", /2", etc., tor the particular pack.

Inner wall '14 serves as a centering wall or journal element or hub so that the strip coil may be wound thereon and piloted for rotation about the common axis thereof within the package.

Inner wall 14 tapers or is inclined from bottom wall 18 at an angle sufiicient to avoid interfering con-tact with the offset teeth of the bandsaw blade.

Radially-extending feet 22 are integrally formed with the lower planar face of the bottom wall and radiate outwardly from central opening 16 to provide bearing sur- [faces for the container and to enable stable stacking of a plurality thereoi.

An outermost upstanding wall, generally indicated by 24, comprises a plurality of interconnected upstanding wall sections 26 integral with and normal to bottom wall 18 and each tangentially disposed relative to the outer periphery of circumferential wall 20 and being thickened or reinforced as at 28 at the points of tangency.

The junctures of the several wall sections are reinforced by radially-arranged bosses which also prov-ides means for supporting upstanding studs 32 spaced along each of the several sides, and extending upwardly of the upper plane of the wall sections.

A ring of studs 33 is also provided on inner circumlferential wall 14 and project therefrom, upwardly of the upper plane of said wall.

Blade C may be dispensed [from the container through a thread-out aperture or dispensing port 34 provided in circumferential wall 20 and in one of the wall sections 26 and at which the free end of the outer convolution of the strip is automatically projectable for delivery.

The dispensing port is of similar depth as the wall 20 and of sufficient width circumferentially and tangentially of coil C to permit a substantial length of the leading or free end of the coil strip automatically to spring out with a snap action when brought opposite the port under rotation of the coil in the appropriate direction.

Two of the wall sections 26a and 2612 are elongated to provide a sub-housing generally indicated by 66 at one corner of base member I10, the sub-housing being defined by a segment of circumferential wall 20, an extension of bottom wall 18, and said wall sections 26a and 26b.

Within the sub-housing, circumferential wall 20 curves outwardly to provide an 'arcuate bubble-like appendage '38 which rises upwardly from an opening 40 provided in bottom '18.

A rupturable web-like rib 42 formed integrally with bottom wall 18 spans opening 40 and is of reduced size at one or both of its ends so that it may be easily ruptured and removed.

Bubble-like appendage 38 carries a cylindrical knock out plug 44 therein (see FIG. 4), when the package is in stomage or in transit, the plug keeping the coil under tension and precluding its accidental rewinding.

When the coil is ready for use, the tension is relieved by removal of the knockout plug, same'being accomplished by pressing downwardly thereon to break the rib 42 permitting the plug to drop through opening 40 in bottom wall 18.

Within the base member on circumferential wall 20 are a plurality of arcuate cam shoulders 46 which provide rounded bearing surfaces for the outermost convolution of the coil and serve to hold said outermost convolution in spaced relation to the circumferential wall, thereby materially reducing frictional engagement.

Wall sections 26 of outermost wall 24 extend above circumferential Wall and the reinforcing sections 28 are stepped outwardly therefrom as by a shoulder 48 (see FIG. 2), whereby the wall sections are removed from any possible contact with the coil.

Inner wall 14 defines the hub of the base member and is adapted for serving as a core at the center space of the convolute metal strip coil and allows the direct winding of the coil in the pack. This contrasts with the more difficult and generally less desirable procedure of separately coiling the strip and relatively telescoping the coil and the reel concentrically into a pack before assembly of the parts.

The constituent material for the base member desirably has the characteristics of substantial strength as against crush and shear stresses coupled with toughness and warp-resisting rigidity, and of surface hardness to afford bearing support and guidance for the strip coil both at the bottom wall and at the inner and peripheral walls and desirably also for frictional or wedging engagement with the outer strip end at the port. From considerations of economy in manufacture and distribution, it is essential that the material be of a low cost nature consistent with throw-away disposal, and preferably be combustible for waste-use or disposal by burning.

The base member is preferably an integral one-piece body molded of a commercial plastic composition having substantial strength, hardness and rigidity.

Top cover member 12 is complemental to outermost wall 24 and is provided with a plurality of openings alignable with studs 32 and 33 on base member 10.

In practice, the studs are registered in the openings in the top cover member and then the studs are headed over as at 50 in FIGS. 3 and 4 to secure the top cover member to the base member.

Top cover member 12 is preferably, but not necessarily formed from paper board or the like and cut scored as at 52 immediately over knock-out plug 44 to facilitate the removal of the plug,

A pair of diametrically spaced apertures 54 in the top cover member register with the coiled bandsaw received in the container to permit the user to engage the coiled saw blade for threadably rotating the saw blade inwardly and outwardly of the thread-out aperture.

Appropriate indicia 56 may be provided adjacent the apertures to indicate the direction in which the coil should be rotated.

The container cover or retainer plate 12 is of a shape and size conformant to the base 10. Such cover plate is placed fiatwise over the open face of the base.

This container cover plate may be formed of fiberboard, paperboard or other material selected to be substantially rigid or semi-rigid but desirably presenting at least at the inner face, if to overlie the toothed edge of the coil C, a surface softer than the saw and adapted to yield to the saw-band teeth under rotation of the coil.

The coil C may be loaded in the pack, in the case of a toothed-edge strip shown, with the toothed edge either up or down relative to the bottom wall 18. In that the materials of the base member 10 and the cover differ in surface hardness, the toothed edge preferably is toward the wall which is softer or more readily markable by the teeth, such generally being the cover coil C accordingly herein being shown with the teeth up or adjacent thereto.

The coil is located within the package and guided in a plane radial thereof by flatwise reception against the bottom wall of base member 10, outwardly of and around the central bearing aperture. The inherent resilience of the coil causes it to seek to expand radially in the manner of a clock spring. This is restrained and controlled by the 4:; encompassing circumferential wall and the cam shoulders thereof.

The coil is arranged for central rotative control or center-Winding by the user. Thereby the coil may be rotated in the package for access ejection of the free end, and also may be rotated, in the reverse direction, for retracting any excess length of the strip after dispensing a desired portion, or for reloading.

The coil is disposed in the base member and the outer lap of the coil bears against the cam shoulders thus distributing the stress substantially uniformly over the entire container periphery. The free end of the bandsaw coil may be threaded outwardly or inwardly of threadout port 34 through rotation of the coil by gripping both edges through the aligned apertures in the top cover member.

The weight of the coil generally will maintain it seated upon the bottom wall and accordingly the offset teeth will be spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the peripheral circumferential wall. However, if desired, a resilient or deformable spacing member, not shown, may be disposed between the saw teeth and the top cover member so as to maintain the saw blade seated upon the bottom wall and to prevent abrading contact between the saw teeth and the top cover member. This spacing member will preferably be a relatively soft material such as paperboard or felt which will engage the teeth and so rotate with the coil. In this manner, contact between the fingers and sharp teeth during threading, or paying out, of the coil is obviated and the spacing member need not be removed prior to use.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container is septagonal in configuration, which configuration has been found highly satisfactory for the purposes of the present invention. In order to insure satisfactory distribution of the stresses from the coiled blade about the periphery of the container, it has been found necessary to utilize structures having at least five sides, and preferably at least seven sides, but ten sides is a practical upper limit for fabrication and side-stacking reasons, as Well as for efficient contruction of the thread-out aperture.

It is necessary that the containers have a low coefficient of friction for engagement with the saw blade so as to facilitate withdrawl and prevent binding. This characteristic is most desirably provided by fabricating the base member from a material having a low coetficient of friction, although an antifriction coating such as tetrafiuoroethylene may be applied over the inner surfaces of the base member. Although stainless steel can be utilized, synthetic resins are preferable from the standpoint of cost and ease of manufacture. Although other resins such as nylon and tetrafluoroethylene may be employed, high density polyethylene has proven especially suitable for the purposes of the present invention because of its low cost, ease of molding, high strength and high degree of lubricity.

In summary, the present invention provides a dispenser pack for coiled spring strip, particularly saw-band and rule, wherein now for the first time adequate control is had for the coil convolutions within a container. As apparent from the foregoing description taken with the drawings of an illustrating embodiment, by availing of center-wind for the springy coiled strip, such as the illustrated saw-band, control is had at all times for the coil convolutions. This applies whether the convolutions are those of a full-length maximum capacity coil or of a lesser or partially depleted coil. Excess lengths withdrawn are readily re-windable back into the container. The leading free end of the strip if deliberately retracted into the container, or if otherwise lost inside it, is immediately available, with an automatic snap-out action, merely by turning the coil until the end ejects at the dispensing port, under the center-wind provision for the coil.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described can be had without departure from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-contained package unit receiving a coil of continuous-length flexible resilient metal strip such as hardened and tempered saw-band and steel rule and storing such strongly expansive coil subject to pay-out dispensing of the strip therefrom, said package unit comprising:

(a) a base member having a flat bottom wall;

(b) a central upstanding hub on said bottom wall about which the coil is wound;

(c) an upstanding outer circumferential wall on said bottom wall concentric to said hub against which the outer convolution of the coil bears;

(d) a plurality of upright outer wall sections integral with said bottom wall tangentially related to and reinforcing said circumferential wall;

(e) a plurality of upright studs extending upwardly from said circumferential wall and from said upstanding hub;

(f) a top cover member complemental to said base member and having a plurality of openings therethrough alignable with the studs on said base member whereby the cover member can be permanently secured to the base member by heading over the studs;

(g) a knock-out plug releasably secured within said base member by a rupturable rib spaning an opening in said bottom wall and bearing on the coil to maintain the coil under tension during storage and shipment; and

(h) a strip intake and tangential pay-out port opening radially from the base member through the solid mass of the circumferential wall and one of said outer wall sections and of restricted but sufiicient angular extent for automatic snap-out projection thereat of a finger-graspable length of the free end of a contained strip coil when said end is trailed into exposure at said port under center-winding of the coil.

2. A package unit according to claim 1 including apertures in said top cover member permitting rotation of the coil.

3. A package according to claim 1 including cam shoulders on said outer circumferential wall holding the outermost convolution of the coil in spaced relation to said circumferential wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1957 Davis 206-52 4/1963 Craven 206-52 

1. A SELF-CONTAINED PACKAGE UNIT RECEIVING A COIL OF CONTINUOUS-LENGTH FLEXIBLE RESILIENT METAL STRIP SUCH AS HARDENED AND TEMPERED SAW-BAND AND STEEL RULE AND STORING SUCH STRONGLY EXPANSIVE COIL SUBJECT TO PAY-OUT DISPENSING OF THE STRIP THEREFROM, SAID PACKAGE UNIT COMPRISING: (A) A BASE MEMBER HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM WALL; (B) A CENTRAL UPSTANDING HUB ON SAID BOTTOM WALL ABOUT WHICH THE COIL IS WOUND; (C) AN UPSTANDING OUTER CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL ON SAID BOTTOM WALL CONCENTRIC TO SAID HUB AGAINST WHICH THE OUTER CONVULUTION OF THE COIL BEARS; (D) A PLURALITY OF UPRIGHT OUTER WALL SECTIONS INTEGRAL WITH SAID BOTTOM WALL TANGENTIALLY RELATED TO AND REINFORCING SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL; (E) A PLURALITY OF UPRIGHT STUDS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL AND FROM SAID UPSTANDING HUB; (F) A TOP COVER MEMBER COMPLEMENTAL TO SAID BASE MEMBER AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THERETHROUGH ALIGNABLE WITH THE STUDS ON SAID BASE MEMBER WHEREBY THE COVER MEMBER CAN BE PERMANENTLY SECURED TO THE BASE MEMBER BY HEADING OVER THE STUDS; (G) A KNOCK-OUT PLUG RELEASABLY SECURED WITHIN SAID BASE MEMBER BY A RUPTURABLE RIB SPANING AN OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM WALL AND BEARING ON THE COIL TO MAINTAIN THE COIL UNDER TENSION DURING STORAGE AND SHIPMENT; AND (H) A STRIP INTAKE AND TANGENTIAL PAY-OUT PORT OPENING RADIALLY FROM THE BASE MEMBER THROUGH THE SOLID MASS OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL AND ONE OF SAID OUTER WALL SECTIONS AND OF RESTRICTED BUT SUFFICIENT ANGULAR EXTENT FOR AUTOMATIC SNAP-OUT PROJECTION THEREAT OF A FINGER-GRASPABLE LENGTH OF THE FREE END OF A CONTAINED STRIP COIL WHEN SAID END IS TRAILED INTO EXPOSURE AT SAID PORT UNDER CENTER-WINDING OF THE COIL. 